TWD: Hope's Rebirth
by The Writer's Day
Summary: Annie's world is torn. She is lost and alone when she stumbles across Ericson's Boarding School for Troubled Youth.. Once she settles in, she struggles to atone to her new home.


**Chapter One: The Girl In The Woods**

* * *

Willy found himself on watch, as usual, after having a quick pee break; needless to say, the entire shift was just boring. It was reaching noon and there hadn't been any stragglers since dawn that morning. His only form of entertainment that day was the calling of the birds and the sweeping motion of the trees. _What a life,_ He thought, leaning against the wooden railing of the makeshift watchtower, gazing at the woods beyond Ericson's walls.

He sighed, leaning back on his feet. "What a load of bullshit," He mumbled with a shake of his head.

"See anything out there, Willy?" Marlon called. The younger boy turned his head to peer down at his leader and friend, whose casually crossed arms didn't cover for the slightly scrutinizing stare he gave off; Willy was known to goof off during shifts. It was still annoying.

"Nothing's out here. Walkers must be migrating or something." Willy answered, shrugging. "It's so quiet now."

Marlon quipped, "I wouldn't complain."

 _Crunch. Snap._

The snapping of branches caught his attention, pulling his gaze away from Marlon to turn toward the trees. His eyes scanned the perimeter of tall trees and grass. "I heard something." He announced, pointing with a finger outwards. "In the woods!"

Marlon furrowed his brows, crossing his arms. "Okay, it's probably just a squirrel."

"Or it's a walker." Willy countered.

"You have your weapon?"

Willy consciously checked his pockets. The bow at his feet had been freshly restrung and there was a supply quiver of arrows beside it. He pulled out his knife and held it up for the superior to see, who nodded approvingly. "Good. Put it to use, alright? Call me when a walker actually shows up." Said Marlon as he turned to walk away from the walls, Willy sneering behind his back.

 _Whatever. I know what I heard. That's why everyone talks about your funny haircut._

Turning around, he kept his grip on the weapon and swept the land with his eyes repeatedly. "...Stupid son of a bitch squirrel. You made me look dumb." He insulted aloud, "Wherever you are. I hope we eat you for dinner.""

 _Snaaaap._

Willy perked up in interest as he detected movement in the shade of the trees below and beyond him. He squinted at the shuffling silhouette, using his hand to shield his eyes from the midmorning sun. Definitely not a squirrel. It was a walker. Then he noticed another one coming up behind it, limping at a sluggish pace.

The walker shuffled closer toward Ericson's, stepping out of the protection of the trees. Willy grinned triumphantly, seizing the opportunity to prove Marlon wrong..

"Marlon! Walkers!" Willy hollered at the top of his lungs, cupping his hands around his mouth so that everyone in the courtyard could hear. People were present, not just Marlon, who had just stepped onto the concrete steps of Ericson's entrance yards away.

"Alright! Coming!" Marlon called back, setting his pace to a jog. Willy grabbed the bow and quiver, pulling out an arrow. With practiced stance and aim, he patiently waited for the nearest straggler to shuffle into his line of vision, his grip on the string unwavering. Before he could even think about releasing the string, the other walker suddenly leaped forward and pushed the latter to the ground with a yell. Willy retracted the arrow, staring perplexedly as the stranger raised a bloodstained rock and began hammering.

"What the..." He breathed as he watched her smash the snarling walker's brains in. She cried in effort as blood and brain matter splashed onto her face and worn clothes, only stopping when the back of the monster's cranium resembled a jelly mess.

The girl dropped the rock, her chest heaving from exertion. She was small; the euthanized walker was twice as big and nearly twice as wide as her. She didn't raise her head to peer up at the boy on the wall, though he was positive she'd seen him.

Marlon yelled from behind, "How many do you see?"

"Walkers don't attack other walkers, right?"

"Willy, _what_."

Willy couldnt tear his eyes away from the sight. "Uhhhh-..." He stammered, "There's a girl! She just beat one's brains into pudding!"

"What!?" Marlon exclaimed as he rushed to the gate, peering outside. Surely enough, she was there, scrambling off of the walker. She leaned on her hands to hold herself up, her arms shaking from the aftermath.

Willy glanced at him, unsure. Marlon shook his head just as cluelessly as he turned back to call at her, "Hey!"

The girl raised her head in response, her crudely cropped brunette hair swaying unevenly with the wind, brushing against her cheeks. No response. Just an empty green-eyed stare.

Marlon felt standoffish as he furrowed his brows, "That was a pretty rough takedown. You're all right?" He questioned.

The girl parted her pale lips to speak, her exhausted body hunching over. "...Yes," She answered in a soft voice. Before she could utter another word, her eyes fluttered shut and her body tipped over with a soft thud on the grass.

"Shit," Marlon cursed. He slipped his bow onto his shoulder, casting a look at Willy. "Watch my back! I'm gonna go get her." He ordered, pushing the gate open.

Trusting his judgement, Willy nodded, stretching back his bowstring once more, prepared to shoot. "I _told_ you it wasn't a squirrel."

Marlon briefly glared, exiting the gate. Willy continued to aim at the ready, keeping watch as Marlon knelt down to shift the girl into his arms, straining slightly from effort.

"Okay, gotcha." He grunted to himself rather than the unresponsive girl, stepping over the battered walker carefully. His foot hit its shoulder and he stumbled, knees buckling slightly. Marlon cursed quietly, poorly masking his obvious embarassment as he hobbled back toward the gate.

Willy wished he had a camera.

Glancing to the side, he caught sight of friends Louis and Sophie approaching, the both of them chatting enthusiastically. "Guys, we found a girl!" He announced.

Sophie brushed some of her fiery red hair behind her ear, her attention now captured. "What?"

"More like, she found us." Marlon corrected, passing by them in the courtyard. "Lou, get the gate."

Louis complied, closing the squeaking gate quickly. "Woah." He spoke, "Just as I began to doubt that kids existed, here we are, carrying in a complete—but pretty—stranger."

Sophie ignored his comment and furrowed her eyebrows, "We're taking her in, just like that?" She asked. "I'm all about helping people out, but are you sure about this, Marlon?"

"Can I just put her down first and then we'll talk?" Marlon rushed, starting to breathe raggedly. He wasn't weak, it was just difficult carrying an entire person. "Hands are pretty full here."

Sophie went silent, rubbing the back of her neck. "So...she just showed up." She stated in disbelief, waiting for an explanation.

Willy tossed his bow onto the wooden platform, rushing down the stairs to join his starstruck friends. "She passed out after beating up a walker." He explained, grinning crudely. "It was cool. It was all like _blerrrghgg_ , and she was all like _raaaahhh_! Killed it dead! Well, more dead."

Louis and Sophie glanced at him and then at each other, the both of them arching their brows. "And Marlon almost fell while pickin' her up." Willy snickered, wiping his nose and then wiping his snot on his overralls.

"Quite the story." Louis interjected, raising a finger. "Now we can say Marlon's pickin' up girls, am I right? Ahhh, what a change." He sighed, placing his hand over his heart with a mock tenderness. While Sophie giggled, his best friend was not amused.

Marlon huffed, "Lou!"

"Shutting up now."

* * *

The girl awoke with a start. She gasped, her body reflexively jolting upright. Her forehead rebounded against metal, causing her to yelp and cover the stinging area.

"Whoa!" Exclaimed a round-faced girl with frizzy red hair who seemed to be standing by, "You all right?"

She groaned in response, holding her forehead. Her conscience returned quickly as she realized that, one, she was lying on a bottom bunk bed with a pulsing headache. Two, her right hand was bound to it with duct tape. Three, the redheaded girl was holding a cup of water to her lips.

"Drink this, sug. You passed out at the gates earlier. You got a name?"

The girl cleared her throat, accepting the drink by wrapping her free hand around it, sipping tentatively. "I'm Annabelle. Uh, Annie." She answered, sitting up a bit more comfortably. "Just call me Annie."

"Ruby. Do you remember how you got here?"

Annie furrowed her brows. Bits and pieces were scattered in her mind, but to say she recalled the full picture was a stretch. She shook her throbbing head. "Not that much..." She admitted, "Just that I walked for days trying to get here."

That caught Ruby's attention; she crossed her arms, standing up straight. "Get here?" She repeated suspiciously, "Are you saying that you knew about this school before you arrived here?"

"This is Ericson's Boarding School for Troubled Youth, right?"

Ruby didn't answer. Annie peered at her, taking note of her tense posture. "My brother attended this school once upon a time. His name was Quinn Parks." She answered sharply, the name sour on her tongue.

"Marlon said you were alone."

Annie inhaled sharply. "You can probably imagine why." She muttered, her throat feeling tight.

This seemed to put Ruby at a slight ease. She uncrossed her arms and sighed, "Look. I'll have to look for his file, but even if it's true, it doesn't explain why you chose to come here." She pointed to the door. "I'm going to find Marlon. He's the one you gotta talk to if you're thinking about staying here."

"I'll have to see for myself whether or not it's worth it." Annie countered as Ruby treaded to the door, opening it. The larger girl glanced back at her with a smug smirk. "Same could be said about you."

Annie couldn't bring herself to smile back as Ruby closed the door. Now she was alone.

She easily tore off the tape that bound her, flexing her fingers to stimulate circulation into her numbing hand. Sweeping her eyes across the room, she observed the exposed pipes that lined the walls. The small room was a dorm, she realized.

 _I'm here. Now what?_

* * *

 _Note: this takes place two years before Clementine's arrival!_

 _Louis/oc friendship-turned-romance/OC-canon friendships!_

 _Violet/Clementine centric! Minnie and Sophie are still there, as its a year before they disappear by the start of this story._

 _Provide feedback, please and thank you!_

 _-Day_


End file.
